American Soul

Delve into foodways of the United States, including testimonies from more than 30 Black chefs, restaurateurs, historians and luminaries, as well as 40 historically-rooted recipes.

Equal parts historical exploration and cookbook, this rich narrative reveals the rich and indelible contributions of the Black diaspora in shaping the footprint of American cuisine.

This illuminating narrative from Anela Malik, the voice behind the popular Feed the Malik, tracks the development of American cuisine from the days of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to modern history. This captivating journey through the culinary history of the United States includes

• Deep-rooted history from crop migration from West Africa to the chitlin’ circuit of the Civil Rights Movement to the modern-day fried chicken sandwich craze. 
• Voices in food, with reflections and profiles of more than 30 Black chefs and culinary luminaries including Jessica B. Harris, Cheryl Day, and BJ Dennis. 
• Illustrated maps and more than 150 photographs illustrating the country’s rich culinary past, regional foodways, historical rice growing regions, barbecue trends, and more
• And 40 recipes from southern skillet cornbread and macaroni and cheese to jerk pork lumpia and blackberry cobbler.  

With nuance and empathy, Anela reveals the unrecognized Black roots of some of the most iconic American food traditions and provides a deeper understanding of the profound yet hidden contributions of the Black community to American cuisine.